Anti-Tobacco Groups Threaten to Sue Over 'Too Unhealthy' Cig

Ex-smokers and medical associations are threatening legal action to get “too unhealthy” cigarettes that exceed European norms for nicotine, tar, and carbon monoxide banned. The group’s lawyer said the organizations’ first port of call is health and safety watchdog NVWA, but if it fails to enforce tobacco legislation, they will go to court.

This move is based on a test published by public health institute RIVM in June, which was conducted by covering the small ventilation holes in the filter paper, a method that approaches the way cigarettes are actually smoked.

However, anti-tobacco groups have questioned this method .,, saying that the official test leaves these holes uncovered, but smokers compress the holes with their lips and fingers and thus inhale much more of the carcinogenic and addictive substances.

Market leaders Philip Morris International and British American Tobacco said their cigarettes comply with European norms and national Dutch legislation regarding tobacco. PMI spokesperson, Peter van den Driest, said the European test was never meant to measure ‘actual exposure’ of smokers to tar, nicotine and carbon monoxide.

"It was meant to enable to compare brands of cigarettes that are smoked in an identical way," he said.

Tobacco producers say it is up to governments to decide which testing method to use.